Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 52 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Ethics: The Golden Rule
— From Ethics 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know (101 Series) by John C. Maxwell
When leadership and business guru John C. Maxwell was approached to write a book on business ethics, he said, “There’s no such thing as business ethics—there’s only ethics. People try to use one set of ethics for their professional life, another for their spiritual life, and still another one at home with their family. That gets them into trouble. Ethics is ethics. If you desire to be ethical, you live it by one standard across the board.”
And what may that one standard be?
For Maxwell, it’s simple: the Golden Rule. This is the principle of treating others as you would want to be treated. (Wikipedia). “Asking the question ‘How would I like to be treated in this situation?’ is an integrity guideline for any situation.”
Given that there is an equivalent of the Golden Rule in every culture, language and religion, this is “the closest thing to a universal guideline for ethics a person can find.” And these are the four criteria as to why Maxwell believes so:
1. The Golden Rule is accepted by most people. If having an equivalent everywhere is not enough, “a case can also be made for the Golden Rule based on common sense. […] It is not unreasonable for any person to desire good treatment for others. Nor is it asking too much to expect others to treat people well. […] The Golden Rule can be used to create common ground with any reasonable person.”
2. The Golden Rule is easy to understand. “One of the wonderful things about the Golden Rule is that it makes the intangible tangible. You don’t need to know the law. You don’t need to explore nuances of philosophy. You simply imagine yourself in the place of another person. Even a small child can get a handle on that. There are no complicated rules and no loopholes.”
3. The Golden Rule is a win-win philosophy. “Have you met people who believe that in order for them to be winners, other people must be made to lose? […] When you live by the Golden Rule, everybody wins. If I treat you as well as I desire to be treated, you win. If you treat me likewise, I win. Where is the loser in that?”
4. The Golden Rule is a compass when you need direction. “Television commentator Ted Koppel says, ‘There’s harmony and inner peace to be found in in following a moral compass that points in the same direction regardless of fashion or trend.’ In a world with much uncertainty, I think many people are seeking direction. The Golden Rule can provide that. It never changes, even as circumstances do. It gives solid, predictable direction every time it’s used. And best of all, it actually works.”
ACTION
TODAY: Keep the Golden Rule in mind as you go about your day: How can you apply it better in every situation? Note that the Golden Rule is not a soft approach to business—you should expect and apply excellence and high quality, and not tolerate undesirable or rude behavior.
FUTURE: Make it a habit of applying the Golden Rule in all you do. All aspects of your life, and the people who surround you, will be better for it and will respond in the same way.
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